Pullout plan leaves many Afghans
concerned

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Barack Obama's decision to bring half of America's 66,000 troops home within a year was welcomed Wednesday by Afghan officials who have long agitated to control their country, but was greeted with dismay by Afghans who think America failed to keep its promise of a better and safer life.

A troop drawdown was widely expected, but for the first time, Obama said how many. For some Afghans, Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday underscored the reality that foreign troops were indeed leaving — and sooner than expected.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai viewed the announcement as good news. He has pushed for a faster withdrawal of international troops, arguing that his country is sovereign and should control its own fate.

He persuaded NATO to agree on a 2014 deadline for the departure of foreign combat troops just over two years ago. He and Obama also agreed last month for Afghan troops to take the lead for security around the country this spring — months ahead of schedule — as foreign forces take the backseat and shift to an advisory and training role.

"This is something Afghanistan has wanted for so long now," Karzai's office said.

He also applauded Obama's commitment to speed up the timetable for handing over the lead for security to Afghan forces. "The withdrawal in the spring of foreign forces from Afghan villages will definitely help in ensuring peace and full security in Afghanistan."

Obama said the first 34,000 troops will leave Afghanistan within a year.

No decision has been made about how many U.S. troops could remain in the country after December 2014 when most foreign forces will have left. Administration officials have said they are considering a residual U.S. troop presence of as few as 3,000 and as many as 15,000.